


All It Takes Is A Little Love

by LilacDreamSage (TheMistyDarkPrincess)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Fluff, Multi, Self-Discovery, Slow Burn, mentions of prior child abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-07 22:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17969129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMistyDarkPrincess/pseuds/LilacDreamSage
Summary: Shouto was pretty sure he had been starstruck when he first meets Midoriya Izuku and Ashido Mina during the time the two came to challenge his father’s trial.  The two just seemed to have an amazing synergy and this drew him in like a Venomoth to a flame.  So, against what was possibly the better judgment, he snuck away while his father wasn’t looking and jumped in on the two’s adventure with his two Vulpix.  What he didn’t expect was to find his heart fluttering and a chance to connect with the past his mother had left behind when he visits Malie City.





	All It Takes Is A Little Love

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the Pokemon/Boku no Hero BB on Tumblr!  
> (Link to the Tumblr [Here.~](https://my-poke-hero-bb.tumblr.com/))
> 
> And my Awesome Artist was sulkingmoon!  
> (Link to their Fantastic Piece [Here!!!~~~](http://sulkingmoon.tumblr.com/post/183259258894/my-art-piece-for-the-bnha-pokemon-big))

    Izuku had to admit he was a bit intimidated by the flickering touches, and the red-hot rock surrounding them as he and Mina had just entered.  The place screamed fire, reasonable and practical for the fact that this place was the housing for the Fire Trial. The place was not dark, but something in it was… probably the figure of the Trial leader, who stood with his arms crossed across his wide chest, cast in firelight by the Incineroar’s belt as the fire-type pokemon stood beside him with the same posture.

“Really welcoming, huh Zu?”

Mina’s voice was muffled by the hand she held in front of her mouth, trying to keep the man in front of them from hearing her.  Izuku cleared his throat with a slight nod in response. It wasn’t like he could disagree, with the man glaring at them like they were offending him just by existing.

“Well?  Are you here for the Trial or not?”

The man’s booming voice demanded, clearly done waiting for the two to decide if they were going to approach the stage or not.  The two in question shared a look at the demand, eyes going to look at the fact that they were standing in the entrance from their peripheral before making their way towards the stage with semi-stifled movements.  The man in front of them glared on in indignation at their pace. Seeing the glare did make the two move faster, but Mina was holding onto Izuku’s hand tightly, not from fear, (Izuku knew that well,) but so that she wouldn’t do something they would both regret.  She was impulsive when it came to many things, being called out on her actions was one of them.

The two reached the stage with a finality that seemed to ring in the air with the sound of their shoes hitting the stone stage.  The man and the Incineroar move as one in dropping their arms, as the two stopped in front of them.

“I am Todoroki Enji, the leader of this Trial.”

The man’s voice was stern and as harsh as the flames and heat around him.

“I have no time for games like many of my other Trial leaders seem to have.  You will face my Incineroar first, and if you succeed in defeating him, then you shall move on to the Totem Pokemon.  Are we clear?”

Mina and Izuku gave each other a wide-eyed look, this not being what they had expected as soon as they had touched the stage.

“Somehow, I don’t believe you…?”

Izuku responded to the man after he and Mina had a discussion through their eyes.  The statement made the man narrow his eyes at them.

“How so?”

He demanded as Izuku gave a nervous shifting under the man’s gaze.

“Because there are Marowaks moving this way twirling fire.”

Mina was the one to respond, pointing to where said pokemon were arriving from the entrance and moving towards the stage.  The man gave a scowl in response to their presences, his eyes shooting to the right side area of the stage briefly before looking back towards the two as they watched the Marowaks ascend onto the stage in a grand show.

~*~

As the Marowaks made their way onto the stage, a boy gave a soft sigh and a scowl back towards the man on the stage.  His father was always trying to change the rules of the Trial. For as long as it had been going on, the Trial had always been one way, at least from what the history books he had read said.  The fact that his father wanted to take away from that and just make the Trial about sheer power did not sit well with him at all. As he watched his father grudgingly start the Trial in the traditional manner, he also took the two who were taking part in the trial under examination.  They looked like they were the type who had no idea what they had stepped into at first glance, and the fact that the two of them had somehow beaten his father down enough to let them participate together spoke even more towards that thought.

His eyes shifted back and forth between the two, probably siblings by the way they seemed to look similar, and shook his head as he noticed they were using poison type pokemon in the Trial as the first portion called for a fight against the Marowak that was different than it had been at the beginning.  He was close to calling it over when he watched the two coordinate attack after attack, their Nidorino and Nidorina moving in perfect sync, much like the calls of their trainers. Something about seeing a poison sting followed by a double kick made him pay closer attention to the way the two timed each attack.  A return, a pokemon switch out. A Lopunny dropped into the fray followed by its greenette trainer going through the motions for the Z-move breakneck blitz, while the pinkette called her pokemon out of the way. The rest of the fight and the next were blurs as he found his concentration focusing in on the trainers more than the pokemon.

Finally, his father looked to be riled.  There was a pure anger Shouto often saw at home, raging inside his eyes as he watched the two trainers heal up their pokemon while watching the rest of the trial at the moment.  That was when Shouto noticed the Totem Salazzle slither onto the stage having deemed the two trainers worthy of battling it. The fact that the Totem Pokemon was ready to go, spoke to how well the two trainers were in balancing each other.  If the two could keep up their well-timed attacks, they could make it for sure.

~*~

The trial ended with Izuku giving Ni’s Pokeball a worried look every once in a while.  He and Mina had won, but his pokemon had suffered a burn that had him worried. Beside him, Mina was giving him a worried look, though at the same time she was making sure that she was keeping an eye on the surrounding area so that they wouldn’t miss the Pokemon Center.

“We’ll get him fixed up Zu.  Don't worry okay?”

She finally said, placing a hand on Izuku’s shoulder and steering him towards the familiar building that could only be that of the Pokemon Center she had been looking for.

“We’ll get everyone in top shape then call it a day.  I'm sure everyone would love that.”

She continued, and the thoughts of calm she was sending to the other seemed to be working.  Izuku began to decompress, sending her a small smile.

“Yeah.  You're right.  I know that everyone would love some time out of their Pokeballs.  Plus I'm tired… Sleep sounds like a plan.”

He agreed before blushing slightly and going to kiss Mina on the cheek.

“Thanks.  I needed to hear all that.”

Mina grinned brightly back in response.

* * *

If there was one thing Shouto hated, it was dodging around every corner hoping to not be spotted by his father, or his, sometimes, infernal Incineroar.  The pokemon alone was not a problem, alone the large pokemon was a kitten. With his father, the calm pokemon became just another tool in the attempt to make Shouto into a “strong trial leader who will see his ways”, though those sessions had stopped about two years after his father had his mother sent away (go figure).  But every time his father had someone beat the trial, Shouto could not help but worry the other would go back to his harsher ways.

So far the coast looked clear, a sure sign that he would probably be able to make it to his room and to his beloved Vulpixes, who he left there for their safety.  He waited a couple of moments more before he stalked quickly towards the door that sat tauntingly ready for him to open and pass through. He was nearly there when the hulking figure of his father’s pokemon appeared behind him, casting his shadow on the door, along with bringing a bit of heat to the area.  Shouto cursed his luck and turned, only to see that the pokemon was alone.

“You have permission to walk around alone?”

He asked because again, he didn't mind the pokemon when it was alone.  It was just following expectations when it was with his father. The Incineroar shook its head, and then looked a little sad as he looked over Shouto.

“I'm fine.  I've been dodging him.”

Shouto responded, knowing that the pokemon was looking for something that spoke of a run in with its trainer.  Relief crossed the Incineroar’s face.

“You had better hurry back to your room.  I don't want you to get in trouble. I'm almost at my room.”

Shouto then told the pokemon, pointing back towards the way it had most likely come from.

“Say hi to mom’s Froslass for me.  Tell her I’ll come to visit her soon.”

He added, trying to make sure that he could make the pokemon go before it…  He… Could get in trouble. The Incineroar gave a nod and moved to do what Shouto said, all while the boy swiftly opened his bedroom door and swung himself in with a motion that closed it soon after he had fully touched the floor on the opposite side.  Immediately his legs were attacked with tiny paws dancing on them, his faithful Vulpixes, Hi and Koori, pouncing on him to demand his attention.

“Sorry I left you both here.”

He said soothingly, kneeling down so that he could pet the both of them as they told him off in their own unique way.  The fussing they were doing brought a small smile to his face as he continued on with his petting and reassuring. He could never let anything happen to these two.  Hi had been with him since he was a toddler, the only gift from his father he ever appreciated, while Koori had been a gift from his mother when he had claimed he wanted to be a trainer (in fact all of his family, minus his father, had an Alolan Vulpix because their mother had come from a place not too far from where they could be found).  Giving the two final pats, he stood back up and made his way over to his closet to pull out some night clothes, and an outfit for the next day, Hi and Koori, not done with him yet, followed behind.

“I saw something interesting today.”

Shouto said as he pulled out the clothes, knowing the two would like to hear about his day.

“Two people came to take the trial, they decided to take it together, and they called my father out on his shit.”

He placed the clothes on the back of his desk chair and turned to his pokemon, who were sitting down now, staring at him intently.

“They won.  But… That's not what drew me in.  It was how well they worked together.  They looked like siblings, and they just seemed to be able to read each other so well.”

He sat down and patted his lap then, Hi and Koori taking the hint and coming over for more pets and storytelling.

“And though their pokemon were not the best matchup for the trial, they still went through with it.  It was amazing really.”

Shouto absentmindedly stroked the two Vulpixes behind their ears as he thought back to the battle.

“I wish…  I wish I had that kind of strength.  Maybe then, father wouldn't have sent mother away because of my scar being caused by his abuse getting to her…  and I wouldn't have the feeling of pressure that seems to follow me everywhere.”

Shouto paused, his whole body going frozen in place as his words hit him.

“Maybe I need to learn that strength.  I’ve never left home for fear of what father would do…  But if I came back with proof of some sort, that I became a better trainer than him…  Someone who doesn’t need his guidance… Then I can tell him to….”

Shouto’s thoughts were cut off by a slight knock on his door.

“Shouto?  Dinner is ready.”

Fuyumi, his dear older sister, called through the door.  Koori and Hi jumped to attention at the call. It meant that it was also dinner time for them, though they had to partake in their meals while in the family’s pokemon room.  Turning their attention to Shouto, the two turned on the pout to a ten making him laugh.

“Alright, Fuyumi.  I'll be out in a moment.  Then I have to make sure that Ko and Hi make it to their food without accidentally wiping themselves out.”

He called back, getting a small laugh in response, along with two indignant sounds from the pokemon in question.

* * *

The next morning graced the earth with the sound of a body hitting the ground with a groan and a laugh that echoed cheerfully off the walls.  The body shifted around trying to remove itself from the sheets that entangled it, while a single green eye opened and gave the laughing party a pitiful look.

“Morning sunshine!  I see you greeted the floor first.  As your girlfriend, I wonder if I should be jealous.  You look like a cocoon Izu.”

Mina’s teasing tone, coming from the other bed in the room, caused the other green eye to open, and a full pout to take form on the poor body, now dubbed Izu, still trying to wiggle out of the sheets.

“Mina…  Help….”

He whined, realizing that he had magically found a way to tie his legs together in his sleep.  The teasing and laughter stopped as Mina assessed the situation, then it picked up back in full force as she got up to do as was asked.

“How did you manage this Izu?!  Are you a magician?”

She gripped the sheets, looking for a weak spot in the knot her boyfriend had performed black magic to obtain around his ankles.

“I don't know.  It's a talent….”

Izuku groaned again, flopping his head down on the ground, face pressed against the carpet as he stopped moving so Mina could work.

“One you seem to have developed recently!  You didn't manage this during the early parts of our journey!”

Mina huffed, the gave a growl as she yanked hard on one of the sheets sides, feeling it give slightly.

“I had a weird dream last night.”

Izuku suddenly blurted out, hoping to change the topic.  Mina hummed in intrigue, though her eyes didn't leave the bundle of sheets she was working on.

“Yeah…. it was like fire and ice? And like blurry figures in snow?”

Mina finished untangling the knot at sat back as Izuku wiggles his legs out of the mess and closer to his person.

“Huh.  That's interesting.  Maybe it's foreshadowing to something?  We’ve dealt with the fire and we’re headed to the ice?”

She asked and Izuku raised an eyebrow before narrowing his eyes in thought.

“You might be right…  Though I think we should keep in mind that we have one more trial before we’re off to the next island.”

He pointed out, and Mina gave a quick nod of understanding as she hopped up and went over to her pack.

“Well, I’m using the shower first then!”

She said cheerfully calling dibs as she pulled out her cleaned clothes and skipping to the bathroom, which she closed the door too before Izuku could say anything.  Izuku sighed good-naturedly as he shook his head and decided to get ready for the day as much as he could while he waited for her to come back out. He would just spend some time with his pokemon.  After all, he wanted to make sure they were ready for the trial they had coming up at the Lush Jungle Trial.

~*~

Shouto was having an odd morning.  For once he had woken up on his own without the sound of his father banging on the door of his room demanding he get up for training.  Instead, there was peace and tranquility with the sound of Fletchlings going wild outside the windows with their songs. Sitting up in his futon, he was met with a dark glare from Hi whom he disturbed on accident due to the cover falling on him.

“Sorry boy.”

He apologized, reaching out and petting the Vulpix, who huffed at him and wiggled away from the hand with a grumpy sound.  This made Shouto smile a bit, and shake his head in an amused manner. The fire-type Vulpix was always the one to give him the cold shoulder in the morning.  It was also obvious that his much happier-than-should-be-allowed in the morning sister was not awake yet herself. After he had made sure that he wasn’t going to further disturb Hi, he checked on Koori and noticed that she had somehow wiggled herself off his bed in her sleep, thus making it clear as to how he had not woken her up.  The two pokemon checked upon, he moved himself carefully into a standing position and began moving in order to get ready for the day. Thankfully it was as soon as he was fully clothed that his sister seemed to appear out of nowhere to knock on his door.

“Shouto, time for breakfast.”

She said through the door, her voice having the instant effect of waking up Koori, who bolted up and was tackling her brother with a happy cry.  Hi, almost as though he expected it, gave a whiny groan and opened one eye to look towards Shouto with a pathetic, pleading look.

“Ko, off your brother.  He can’t get up with you on top of him.  I’ve told you this.”

Koori gave Shouto a pout but did as he asked and got off her brother so that all in the room could head off to get sustenance.

...

“You want to do what?!”

Fuyumi was staring her brother down as he gave her a slow blink and moved his hand to rub at his ear.

“While the old man isn’t here, I want to get on a boat and head out to do some traveling around.  I hate this place, no offense to you Fuyumi, but I want to see more of the world than just the park.”

Fuyumi sunk down into her chair, having been frozen behind it with her own food in hand, and gave a sigh.

“Why do you think that would be a wise decision?”

She asked, wanting to know the reasoning behind her little brother’s thoughts, even though she had a pretty good grasp as to why he wanted to leave.  She remembered having to take care of the fresh proof more times than not and cleaning out the first aid kit.

“I want to show that I don’t need his damned training.  That I can function as my own person and my own trainer.  I’m not going to let him continue to push me around just because he wants me to be strong and then change the Trail so that it becomes a gym.”

Fuyumi closed her eyes and sighed at those words, before opening them and smiling at her little brother, who’s conviction burned in his eyes.

“If you’re going to do this…  You probably should get started now while he is out.”

She said, moving to stand, which made Shouto look at her in confusion.

“I’m going to help.  If you’re going on a trip, you need to pack the appropriate things, and since you haven’t been far from the park before, I know what to make sure you have.”

Shouto gave her a small smile as he stood and made to follow her to his room.

* * *

Somehow the days had gone by too fast, Mina had to think as she walked behind her boyfriend who was trying, and failing, to get Ni to stay at his side.  The sight was adorable really, and with their victory at the final trial, and beating the Kahuna of the island, they were ready to head out. It felt like only yesterday they had landed on the island to take part in the trials it had to offer, and now they were headed out once more.  It was exhilarating and just a little bit annoying too in an odd way, because dang it, she wanted to spend more time with Izuku, than they had been, not focusing on the trials. Maybe there would be a chance of that at the next island? There was always something unknown on the horizon, so the possibility of getting a break was high do sure.  The only one to convince would be Izuku.

The two were making their way, at a good pace, towards the ferry that would carry them beyond this island to the next, when a cloaked figure accidentally bumped into Mina, seeming to come from nowhere.  With a yelp of surprise, Mina went down, causing not only Izuku to stop and look towards her but the perpetrator as well. Izuku gave a small sound of surprise before he rushed toward her, however, the cloaked individual seemed to hesitate, seeming nervous, before they turned and continued to hightail it towards the ferry’s ticket and welcome office.

“Rude!”

Mina shouted after the retreating back while allowing Izuku to help her stand up.

“What was that about?”

Izuku wondered, frowning as the person ducked into the building they had been headed to, disappearing from view.

“I don't know, but they could have at least apologized.”

Mina huffed, brushing herself off before placing her hands on her hips in an exaggerated anger pose.

“It looked like they wanted to…. Something just seemed off with how they hesitated.”

Izuku said, hands moving to make a placating gesture as Mina continued to huff (even though it had lost steam).

~*~

Shouto cursed himself as he purchases his ticket to the next island over, his mind in constant replay over his run-in with the duo that had inspired his current actions.  That was not how he intended to meet them again, if ever, and now he was sure he had made himself look like a dirtbag. Not at all the best first impression, but his fear of his father catching him and dragging him back before he could make it on the boat was stronger than his need to come across as a polite and apologetic citizen.  It was as he was thinking this that the clerk alerted him to his ticket being printed. He graciously took the ticket when it was held out to him and gave the teller a polite smile before shifting his hood back up over his head and turning to exit the building, right as the two he had been dreading running into once more were walking through the door.  Clearly, fate hated him.

“Hey!  It’s the rude jerk!”

The pinkette of the two shouted, pointing at him, while the greenette let out a nervous laugh and began making placating gestures towards the other.

“Mina, I’m sure they’re sorry!”

He was saying, his eyes now going between the girl and Shouto (hoping that he would get some sort of confirmation most likely).  Shouto felt his head nod of its own volition, not that he wasn't thinking about answering verbally in the first place.

“I am.  I was just in a hurry….”

He voiced, knowing the gesture was probably not going to be enough at this moment.  The girl seemed to stare him down after he said those words, almost as though she was trying g to read into his soul to see if he meant it.

“Fine.  But now you've made me curious as to what made you so impatient that you couldn't apologize before running off.”

She said after what seemed to be a millennium.  Shouto gave a sigh at this, wondering if he could still pull the “in a hurry” card in order to get away.  While he contemplated this, and the girl in front of him gazed at him in curiosity, the greenette of the two had finally stopped his gesturing and seemingly had vanished from sight, only to return with two tickets in hand.

“Mina, we can ask him on the boat maybe?  I have our tickets.”

He said, cutting into the awkward air that had started to take hold of the area.  Shouto found himself giving a sigh of relief when the girl looked away to look towards the other boy,  he internally he knew that the battle had just begun in a way as he realized he would be hounded for answers as soon as he found himself on the boat, especially if the contemplative look he was getting from the girl now was correct.

* * *

The trio found themselves seated near each other, though not without a bit of an attempt to get away from the awkward conversation to come on Shouto’s part, and found themselves waiting patiently for the boat to depart.  There was a slightly uncomfortable air between them, even though there was supposed to be something to be said. Mina, as Shouto had found out was the name of the girl, was staring at the dual-haired boy expectantly, while Shouto found himself watching Izuku, the other boy, as he seemed to be whispering an argument with the Nidoran (Nidorino?) beside him as it pawed at his pants leg.

“He’s adorable.  I understand. He's a precious cinnamon bun.  Can I have my answers now?”

Mina, having realized her staring was getting her nowhere, asked, drawing both boys attention to her.  Izuku’s face was a bright shade of red, while Shouto found himself feeling the starts of his own blush crossing his face.  Thank goodness he had not removed his hood yet so his face was still slightly shadowed.

“Ah.  Right.  I should probably explain.”

He agreed, clearing his throat as a way of deflustering himself

“I'm running away from home.”

The two near him both took a moment before shocked sounds were exclaimed by both of them.

“You're running away from home?!”

The greenette leaned forward, shock being replaced by worry.

“What happened?  Are you hurt?!”

Shouto leaned back from the invasion into his space, eyes wide at the sudden questioning, different from what he had been expecting.

“I'm fine.  I just needed to get away from my old man and his shit.”

He responded, though now he was watching the pinkette from the corner of his eyes as she had gone silent and was just… Starting at him.

“Well if you aren't hurt, that's good at least….”

Izuku muttered, causing Shouto to turn his attention back to the other.  Izuku wasn't looking at him though, he was looking towards his companion.

“See Mina, it was a good reason.  I can imagine if he was caught it would have been a bad situation.”

Mina sighed and took her gaze off Shouto to look at Izuku as well.

“You're right.  You're right.”

She conceded, then leaning over to peck the other on the lips briefly, causing him to fluster.  Shouto blinked a couple of times slowly at this, eyes fixed on the two in front of him with a raised brow, internally finding himself flustering in embarrassment at seeing the gesture.  His mind traveling back to his first thoughts of the two at the Trial, and reaching an error message as he tried to think of anything that could have given them away as something more. His brain filtered through the scene searching while his mouth decided then to blurt out his surprise.

“Wait…  So you’re not siblings?”

He asked in way of clarification, though it sounded more along the lines of him having just made a new discovery.  The two jolted in surprise at the question, then shared a couple of looks, one amused the other confused as well before they turned their attention back to him.

“I would hope not, considering we're dating.”

Mina says, tone amused and dancing with held back laughter.  Izuku looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole just to make the awkward stare (which was now being shifted back and forth between him and Mina) he was getting from the other boy disappear.  Almost like she understood, Mina quickly jumped to a different topic, throwing out her hand toward Shouto (who leaned away from it in surprise), with a wide grin on her face.

“Oh jeez!  We never do a full introduction, did we?  I'm Ashido Mina!”

She stated in a cheery voice.  Shouto stared at the hand for a moment more before reaching out with his own.

“Todoroki Shouto.”

The two shook hands, then Izuku put his own hand out.

“Midoriya Izuku.”

The two boys shook hands.  Mina then gave a huge grin.

“And for my final act…”

She started suddenly reaching forward and flicking the hood off of Shouto’s head before he could react.

“A face reveal!”

“Mina!  What the heck?!  Privacy!”

Izuku yelped, but then he and Mina were drawn in by the sight of the other before them.  Shouto immediately reached up to cover the scarred portion of his face.

“Wait!  Don't do that!  You cover up your heterochromia!  That is so cool!”

Mina quickly said, pointing at her own eyes to back up what she was saying.

“How does your hair stay so perfectly symmetrical?”

Izuku threw in, starting at the boys perfectly split hair.  Shouto found himself at a loss at the two’s reactions. Usually the first question he got when people noticed his scar was them asking what happened.  Instead, these two people, who he sort of ended up being stuck with all because of an inopportune situation, didn't seem to care at all. They were quick to point out other traits instead, and not in a malicious manner.  Slowly he dropped his hand and tilted his head in his confusion.

“You aren't going to ask about my scar?  And I don't know why my hair is able to stay evenly split.”

He responded, watching as the two who he was speaking to turned to each other and seemed to have a conversation with their eyes.

“Well duh, we’re curious.  But it isn't really our place.  I mean, I was just playing around and got carried away while trying to break the awkward tension, and ended up making you uncomfortable.  Sorry about that by the way…. So yeah, we don't need to know, unless you want to tell us.”

Mina responded after the conversation was seemingly declared done.

“As an apology…  I can get your pokemon some Pokepuffs when we get to the first Pokemon Center of Ula'Ula island and something to drink for you as well.”

Izuku added, his attention going to his own pokemon, who had been surprisingly silent after the majority of the conversation had occurred, and noticing the narrowed eyes he was giving him.  Shouto found that the idea didn't sound too bad. After the roller coaster of a conversation and the series of events that had just occurred, a calm setting sounded rather welcome.

“I think that would be nice.”

He said, then he leaned back and decided to tune the two other trainers out, though he kept a quiet on them as he did so.

* * *

It took some time, but the announcement that the ferry was reaching Ula’Ula island, and reaching its stop at Malie City was made jolting Shouto into a state of awareness, having dozed off at some point while listening to his…  What would Mina and Izuku even be considered as at this moment? Companions? Probably as good a word as any… After listening to his companions talk about the Trials one the island they were headed to. Now he was shocked to be met with silence, and he had to shift his head a bit from where it had fallen upon entering slumber to see why it was quiet.  As it would turn out, he found himself having to reach out a hand apiece in order to shake the two awake, they too having fallen asleep during the ride. Izuku woke up with a jolt (his pokemon, Ni, being helpful in this due to being awake still and seeing what Shouto was doing), while Mina took a bit more time to realize what was going on.

“Huh, what?”

The pinkette grumbled, blinking a couple of times, while her eyes stayed narrowed with sleep.

“They called that we’re arriving at port soon.”

Izuku answered, voice also tired, making Shouto’s job a bit easier since he didn’t have to explain what was going on.  Mina let out a tiny yawn, then proceeded to stretch, a small squeaky groan escaping as she did so. Immediately the greenette next to her covered his face, a slight pink to his face, with a small mutter of something, while Shouto stared in shock at the girl with an instant feeling of guilt rising in him as he couldn’t help but find the action adorable as well.

~*~

The three soon found their feet touching down on solid ground, and their gaze met with the sight of traditional looking homes and stores.

“Oh wow!  Look Zu! I think they have a boutique here!  Can we check it out? Oh! And look! There is supposed to be a gorgeous botanical garden here as well!  Why don't we take a break here and see some sights before we continue with the Trials!”

Mina started to cheer, her eyes glued to the map of the area that she noticed upon leaving the boat.  Izuku gave a little nervous laugh as he noticed the overwhelmed look on Shouto's face (the boy seeming to have given up on wearing his hood).

“I don't see why not.  But we should probably see where they have accommodations for travelers.  I should also honor my word and get Todoroki-San here something to drink and his pokemon their Pokepuffs.”

Mina turned around, her eyes finding Shouto and staring at him for a moment before she looked over at her boyfriend and smiled.

“You're right…  Sorry, got excited and forgot the goof-up from the boat.”

She gave a little nervous laugh of her own then reached down and patted Ni on the head as the pokemon began to paw at her leg.

“And don't think I forgot my promise to you.  When we get to the Pokemon Center and she gets that scratch looked at to make sure it's healing alright, I'll leave A.Q. out so you two can play.”

She consoled the determined pokemon.  Ni stopped pawing her leg and stared her down before giving a huff and walking over to his trainer who gave him a pat on the head.

“Are your pokemon all this close?”

Shouto asked, deciding to go over to the map himself.  This was his first time away from home, and on a different island, he might as well memorize what was in this town…  Especially since he came here on a bit of a mission, which he had not told the other two about, and most likely would not be dragging them in on.

“They are!  Ni here is the cute little boyfriend of my A.Q.!  No, don't argue Zu, they are together!”

Mina answered though she didn't even look at Izuku as she pointed at him to say the last part.  Instead, her attention was on the boy next to her with a grin. Shouto gave a hum, his eyes stuck on the map he had started to take in.

“I'm guessing that this is also because you've spent so much time together?”

He asked after a moment, trying to be polite as he realized that the hum could have signaled he wasn't listening.  It was Izuku who answered this time.

“We met at the beginning of our journeys and tagged together.  Over time… Well… we started dating and taking the trials together as a duo.”

Shouto suddenly felt awkward at the reminder that the two were dating.  He was obviously third-wheeling at the moment (and the only reason he knew that was because Fuyumi would sometimes tell him in secret about the romance novels she had been reading).

“I see…  How did your parents feel about that when you told them?”

He asked, out of curiosity, trying to get rid of the third-wheel feeling he had going.  He was sure that if he started dating his father would be pissed. He would probably be expected to accept an arranged marriage like his father had forced his mother into.  And look how well that…. Shouto shook his head at the thought. Mina looked confused at the action then looked at Izuku who shrugged. Thinking it wasn't something to ask about as it was probably personal, by the look on the other boy's face, she concentrated on his prior question.

“Our parents don't know yet.  We really haven't had time to tell them.  Which is probably why we should take a break for once before jumping right in.”

She said, though for the last part she was looking at Izuku with narrowed eyes.  Izuku gave a nervous laugh at that and nodded.

“Okay, okay.  I get it. We need a break.  I'll try and shut off the Trial oriented part of my brain for a bit.  Just don't expect it to be easy, and for me to ignore my journal.”

The boy conceded, and Mina beamed in such a way Shouto was sure the Sun would become jealous for.  He looked away in order to gage Izuku’s response and notice the slight smile on his face as well. Good lord help him.  He was having a crisis. Having not been around many people before (and only having two whole, tiny, crushes when he was a little younger), he was having a crisis.  The bigger problem? The two he was having his crisis over, were already together. And then, add on top of that, his registering of where he had to go on the island to find where his mother had moved herself away to (he was sure it was the right place)…  Well, that added to the problem too.

~*~

“Hey, Zu?”

Mina asked as soon as the two were alone in the room they had booked.  Shouto had gone ahead already, wanting to find the Pokemon Center and said he would be waiting for them there.

“What Mina?”

Izuku looked up from where he was checking his wallet to make sure he would have enough money to cover anything that could be on the cafe’s menu.

“Get the feeling we were being checked out by Todoroki?”

Izuku tilted his head at this and gave his girlfriend a confused look.  Mina shrugged at the look.

“What?  Have you never heard of Polyamory?”

“No, I have.  This topic just came out of nowhere.”

“What do you think of it?”

“I’m fine with it.”

Silence fell between the two after Izuku spoke the last line.  Mina was now looking at him with a head tilt of her own. Izuku turned shy then.

“ _I’m_ _polyamorous_.”

He explained, and it was suddenly clear that he had never told this to Mina.

“I probably should have told you that when we started dating.”

Mina gave him an understanding smile.

“I never told you I was too.”

There was more silence.  Then Izuku sighed, but there was a small smile on his face.

“We don’t know what is going on with Shouto.  It might be a passing crush on one of us and embarrassment that he knows we’re together.  Besides, he’s waiting for us at the Pokemon Center.”

He said and Mina gave him a matching smile.

“You’re right.  Life does what it wants, and we got to let it do its thing!  Everything will work itself out and we’ll talk things out when we need to.”

~*~

The Pokemon Center was buzzing with both pokemon and people when Izuku and Mina arrived, making it difficult to find the distinctness of Shouto among the crowd.  When they did spot him, they were quick to weave their way to him.

“Todoroki!”

Mina called, making sure that the boy knew that they were headed his way, drawing heterochromatic eyes towards their direction.  There was immediate relief in the boy’s posture as well, as though being in the crowd was making him nervous, which was probably the case.

“Ashido, Midoriya.”

He greeted when the two reached the area where he was.  Mina made a face at the formality he used.

“Please, call me Mina.”

She said, in turn making Shouto look a little uncomfortable and surprised at the fact he was being given permission to use the girl’s first name.

“She was like this with me too.  Just go with it. And you can call me Izuku.  I don’t mind.”

Izuku informed the other boy, giving him a smile when he looked at him in surprise.

“Then call me Shouto.”

The boy said after a moment, looking between both Mina and Izuku as he said this.

“Done!”

“Okay.”

The two answered before Izuku pointed towards the cafe’s menu.

“Shall we get our drinks?”

He asked, and Shouto gave a slight lip rise in response as he gave a stiff nod in response and Mina gave an enthusiastic agreement.

* * *

“Ko, Hi, be careful, the others don’t play the way you do!  Don’t bite when you tag them or Mina!”

Shouto called to his two Vulpixs jumping around in front of him as he, Mina, and Izuku enjoyed a quiet day in the botanical garden.  It had been about three days since they had arrived, and Mina was adamantly holding onto the break they were having (shopping, Izuku was current sketching in his journal, while Mina was having fun playing with the pokemon of their group, playing what he hoped he guessed correctly was tag.  The only pokemon not playing was his mother’s Froslass, whom he had snuck out with him on a whim.

“They’re fine Shouto!”

Mina called back before giving a surprised yip at the feel of a cold nose tapping her leg and cheery call of “VUL!”.

“Oh, it’s on!  I’m getting you back!~”

Mina cheered, conversation with Shouto forgotten in favor of going after the pokemon who were laughing at her reaction before scattering at her declaration.  Izuku looked up briefly to give her a fond smile and shake his head at the scene, then ducked back down into the pages in front of him. Shouto noticing this, felt his heart skip a beat, then clinch.  Somehow he needed mercy, because his tiny thought crushes were growing, and growing uncontrollably. This was not how crushes were supposed to work!

“Frost?”

His mother’s Froslass floated in front of him, reaching out to cup his face with her sleeve-like hand in concerned questioning.

“I’m fine.”

He reassured, giving the pokemon a soft smile.

“Why don’t you go join the others?  You don’t need to watch me. I’m fine here.  It’s safe.”

The pokemon gave him a searching glance as he said this, though the last part was softer so that Izuku wouldn’t hear it.  Finding what was being searched for, the pokemon nodded and floated off towards the others, who gave calls of greetings.

“She really loves you huh?”

Shouto jumped as Izuku’s voice came from beside him unexpectedly.  He looked over at the other boy, who was looking towards the Froslass currently floating above Hi in playful taunting.

“She’s my mother’s.  She’s part of the reason I came here.  I… My mother left us to go to live near the mountain here.  She’s originally from this city… I… I want to see her again.”

Izuku was quiet after Shouto said this, then gave a determined sound, drawing the other’s attention back to him.

“You’re stuck with me and Mina for a while longer then!  We actually have a last stop at the top of the mountain. Did you know they have an Elite Four here?”

Shouto’s eyes narrowed in confusion at first, before widening in understanding at the other’s words.

“Wait…  You mean you’re willing to help me get to where my mother is?”

“Yeah!  If you’re willing to come with us all the way to the end?”

Izuku responded, giving Shouto a glowing smile as he watched the other’s eyes soften with thankfulness.

“Then, it looks like I’m going to be tagging along for your Trials.”

Shouto said firmly, and Izuku couldn’t help but notice the smile Mina was giving them both from out the corner of his eye.

* * *

Being on a different side of a Trial was a thrill, Shouto found.  Not too long after it was decided he would be joining them on their Trials trail, the three had left the place he knew his mother had called home before she was married to his father.  Now he was once again getting a view of why he was first drawn to the two as they worked in sync against the Mimikyu that was the Totem Pokemon of the Ghost Trial. The two weren't even phased as Shouto watched their Pokemon, (who he thought were only Nidoran) took to evolving to a Nidoking and Nidoqueen in the middle of the fight.  He did notice Hi and Ko watching the two with wide eyes, almost entranced by the transformation the two they had been playing with earlier that day had undergone.

Shouto felt a pang at seeing their amazement and thought back to the stones he now had in his travel bag.  A part of him was afraid that if they evolved he would lose his friends, but that was silly, wasn't it? They were his friends, no matter what form they would be in…  And maybe… Well, love could take on different forms and still be love as well. Shouto’s mind was blanking slightly at that thought, knowing it was fully registered with him now, that he was indeed in love with the two he had started traveling with by chance, his mesmerized feeling at their ability to sync so well, transformed into loving how they were so different and yet fit together so perfectly.  That love then transformed from the way they fit together to how they were as two separate people. Oh man… He was in a situation.

* * *

Time was going by in what felt like a ripple of motions and emotions.  Shouto found himself falling more and more in sync with the two he was traveling with and loving every minute of it.  Here he was now though, standing in front of an out of the way cabin, looking at it like it was a mirage created by the snow around them.

“Shouto?”

Mina’s voice broke him from his staring match with the door.  Looking over he saw the girl tilt her head at him with a worried look.  Beside her, Izuku also looked rather worried.

“I’m…  I’m okay.  I’m just a little nervous about what will happen.”

He admittedly didn’t know what would happen, and he was worried the door would be slammed in his face.

“We can come back tomorrow if you need more time.”

Izuku said easily in return, trying to make him feel a bit more comfortable about the situation, while he shifted to get comfortable from the cold.  Shouto shook his head.

“I can’t delay this…  But can you both stay out here?”

He asked, and Mina nodded immediately.

“Of course we can!  Do what you need to!”

She responded, pulling Izuku to her.

“We’ll just huddle here while you go in.  If it gets too cold, we’ll head to the Center.”

Shouto nodded in understand then took a deep breath, watching as it turned to steam upon it returning from his lungs.  He reached up his hand then, pausing with it in front of the door, then closed his eyes and rapping his knuckles against the wood.  There was nothing for a moment, then there was shuffling. Shouto gulped down the saliva trying to invade his mouth, making him feel slightly sick to his stomach and waited.  The door opened slowly, almost taunting, before a familiar face peeked slightly through a crack in the door.

“Hi, mom.”

Shouto heard, more than felt, himself say.  The eyes of the woman behind the door widened, and a soft breathing of “Shouto?” escaped her before the door opened wider.

“What are…?  How did…? Why are…?”

She started again and again until she just simply was left staring.

“I…  I wanted to see you.  Can we talk? I… I really missed you.”

The woman paused only for a moment before smiling softly and moving from the doorway.

“I…  I would like that.”

She said, and Shouto took that moment to go inside.

~*~

When Shouto had gone inside Mina and Izuku were left out in the cold, hiding away from sight so that the reunion would not be as awkward.

“I hope that everything goes well for him.”

Izuku muttered and Mina patted him on the back.

“I’m sure that it will.  Let’s wait here for about ten minutes then head back to the Pokemon Center.  I don’t think he would blame us for wanting out of the cold.”

She said, the tone of her voice optimistic.  Izuku gave a nod at that and the two settled in.

* * *

Shouto and his mother separated from one last hug after what felt like an eternity.  The two had red eyes, but happy smiles on their faces, mimicked by the happy sounds of the pokemon gathered around them.  His mother’s Froslass, Mizuki he learned her name was, was leaning on her trainer, almost cuddled into her, happy to be back with her after so long.

“Remember that you can visit whenever you want.  Please let your siblings know as well. I would love to see them.  And… Please let Touya know, if you see him, that I’m so sorry for everything.”

Rei said in a caring tone that had Shouto giving her soft, reassuring smile.

“I will.  Take care of yourself mom.  I’ll come visit again for sure.  And… I’ll remember what you said.”

He said in response, before reaching for the doorknob behind him, though he kept his body turned towards his mother.

“Take care Shouto.  Let me know how everything goes.  And know that I love you.”

Rei looked like she was about to cry again, but she refrained in order to give another soft, albeit teary, smile.

“I love you too mom.”

Shouto said in return, then he opened the door and stepped outside, followed closely by Hi and Ko.

…

Once they were outside Shouto paused in the doorframe for a few moments before he walked out into the open a bit and put his bag on the ground.  His hands moved to the pocket he knew the items he needed were in and moved to pull them out.  For a few moments, he stared at them before he held out the two stones towards Hi and Ko, hesitant, almost afraid that he would offend his dearest friends.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

His voice was calm as he said this, not showing his internal fear.

“But…  I think everyone needs to grow up in some way.  And I think that we’ve had our own growths while on this journey.”

Hi and Ko shared a look, then looked Shouto in the eyes, searching for something.  Shouto held their gazes, letting them search. They must have found it because before the boy could panic more and pull the stones away, the two allowed their noses to touch their respective stone, and then they both burst into bright lights.  When the lights started to fade, two majestic looking figures began to silhouette first, then come into focus as Hi and Koori both gave the first cries of their evolutions and then hop on their trainer in excitement. Shouto could barely catch himself with a surprised laugh before he landed and allowed the two full reign of his face as he began to cry again, but not from held back emotions this time.  This time it was out of sheer joy.

* * *

Shouto was not surprised, when he entered the Pokemon Center, to see Mina and Izuku huddled at a table with warm drinks held tightly in their hands.  He also was not surprised to see the surprise on their faces when they saw the two Ninetales following after him. Instead, he calmly made his way to the table and sat down in the free chair there.  Hi and Ko taking a seat on either side of him.

“How did it go?”

Mina asked, trying to seem casual instead of curious over everything.

“You talk through what you needed to?”

Izuku added, he too acting as though the scene in front of him didn’t make him curious.  Shouto felt himself give a small smile at their antics, finding their attempt to not pry to be adorable.  

“I got everything I needed to talked out…  And I know I'm allowed to visit again. I'm going to try and rebuild my relationship with her.  I miss her being my mother.”

Shouto responded, gained two smiles to match his own in return.

“That's great.”

Mina said wholeheartedly, while Izuku chimes in with an “I'm glad everything worked out for the both of you” from where he sat.  Shouto nodded in response.

“And Koori and Hi?”

Izuku asked, finally unable to hold back that part of his curiosity.  Shouto’s smile grew a little and filled with a previously unknown sense of pride.

“I grew more on this short trip than I have in a long time.  I figured out that I finally had to let those I care for grow too.”

He responded, with a soft call from Hi and a cheery one from Koori.  This gained him another two smiles in response. However, he soon found himself turning shy as he remembered the last part of his conversation with his mother.

_“Mom…  I… I think I'm in love with both my travel companions.”_

_“Do they make you happy?”_

_“Yes.  But they’re already together and I'm afraid to tell them.”_

_“Shouto, I will love you no matter what, but it is familial.  Love takes so many different forms… I will always love you, and I want you to be happy.  When you decide that you want to love someone romantically, it can be terrifying. But sometimes the first step has to be made for you to know where everything stands.  It sounds like these people are lovely. I'm sure that even if your feelings are unrequited they will still be your friends. But most of all in this case… Be happy.”_

“I also have something I need to admit.”

Shouto looked between the two as they looked at him with concern and confusion.  This made him nervous, but he felt himself carry on anyway.

“I…  I may have developed feelings for the two of you while traveling with you.  It started as a crush from when I saw you at the Fire Trail… But the more we have traveled and I have learned about you both….  I think I really like you.”

He ducked his head down to the table, missing the surprise that crossed both Izuku and Mina’s faces as they had a conversation right then with their eyes.

“Shouto…  I should start with this little fact: we’re both Polyamorous.”

Izuku started then calling Shouto’s attention up from the table.

“That being said.  We both like you as well.”

Mina added, and Shouto looked shocked at the declaration.  His face felt like it was going to catch fire.

“That being said.  If you want to be in a relationship with us, we should take it slow at first and make sure it will work.”

Izuku continued, giving Shouto a warm smile that Mina copied.  Shouto looked back at the table, this time with a smile of his own.

“I understand.  I… Thank you.”

He said, and then there were two sets of arms around him.

“No Shouto.  Thank you for letting us know, and for being willing to let us see where this will go.”

Mina said, her voice calm but happy and caring.

“Thank you for letting us know it is okay for us to love you.”

“Thank you for letting me know it's okay for me to love you, and be loved, as well.”


End file.
